Tuesday, November 06, 2007

When I was in the USA a few weeks back, my family was celebrating Durga Puja (or Durga Pujo like we Bengalis pronounce it). While most of India celebrates Dussehra, Bengal celebrates its biggest annual festival with great pomp and ceremony. In Eastern India and particularly West Bengal, Durga Puja is more important than any other festival.

This festival is dedicated to the worship of Goddess Durga and a celebration of victory of good over evil. In Kolkata alone, almost two thousand pandals are setup where people can participate in community celebration and worship the Goddess. Over a period, this festival has also turned into an event to showcase the talent and creativity of local artisans, who create awe-inspiring pandals and idols of the Goddess. Here are some pictures from this year's Durga Pujas in Kolkata.

The idols of the Goddess (usually made of clay) are immersed in the Ganges after a week-long celebration. The pandals are also temporary and are taken down after the festival. But during the week of Durga Pujas, Kolkata is a city transformed. Vehicular traffic comes to a stand-still on most roads, as revellers take over. Dressed in their best, you can see groups of people going from pandal to pandal and admiring the work and creativity on display. Morning and late evenings are usually reserved for worshipping the Goddess. And, of course, like all things Bengali, food and sweets play a major role during this time too!

I had never heard of this festival before, but it sounds like an amazing sight. The closest thing we may have to it is Mardis Gras, but it sounds like it pales in comparison to your festival. Thanks for teaching me something new!